An estimated 1.1 billion people in developing countries, including Ghana, ease themselves outdoors, though the practice is considered the greatest danger to human health.
Ghana as a country was confronted with cholera outbreak which affected 28,975 people and claimed 243 lives.
This protracted cholera outbreak affected almost 60% of districts from all the 10 regions. The menace came about as a result of poor environmental sanitation challenge.
This include, the dumping of faecal waste into water bodies , drain and open spaces which poses serious public health complications.
As part of efforts to help address the menace the United Nations set a Day aside for countries to undertake various advocacy and awareness raising activities to remind citizens of the need to own and use hygienic toilets at their various homes.
The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Hon Alhaji Collins Dauda, speaking at the commemoration of the 2016 World Toilet Day in Accra , disclosed that the government is currently implementing a number of activities across the country aimed the deplorable sanitation situation.
“It is worthy to note that under Greater Accra Metropolitan area Water and Sanitation Project, all landlords will be supported to own toilets within their premise”, he stated.
This he said, it is expected that by the end of 2018 , total number of toilets in GAMA project communities will be increased by 10,000.
Since there is the need for all and sundry to reflect on the need to build , own and use improved toilet facilities at home.
Additionally, 230 institutional toilets will be provided to selected basic schools within the Project area.
According to the Sector Minister Ghana could also not achieved the MDG target for access to improved household toilets of 54 per cent by the end of 2015 and that with the ambitious SDG target for sanitation of 100 per cent by 2030, it behoved on all to strive harder to achieve it, since sanitation was a shared responsibility.
He noted that with this year’s toilet day commemoration, authorities were aiming at reaching out to low income urban communities and mobilise a bigger mass of people to support the toilet campaign.
This he said ,they are expecting to reach 1,000 people directly and more than five million people indirectly through the media and publicity materials. Our target audience for the event will be the community members.
Other activities earmarked for the celebration of the day include float in selected principal streets in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and a durbar at the Madina market, a mini conference of the Ghana Institute of Engineers and a “What-do-you- know” quiz competition among selected Junior High School.
This year’s World Toilet Day was themed: ” Stop open defecation , own a household toilet now”.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.
(Via: NewsGhana)
